Pressurized containers, such as aerosol cans, are commonly used to store and dispense a wide variety of household products such as cleaners, insecticides, paints, cosmetic aids, and the like. These products are generally used by spraying them directly onto their intended target. As can be appreciated, the use of aerosol cans for dispensing such products is desirable in many ways since these products can be used quickly and effortlessly. However, frequently the products dispensed from aerosol cans are toxic especially if ingested or applied to eyes, lungs, or other sensitive areas of anatomy.
The chances of someone being injured because of coming into contact with products dispensed from aerosol cans are greatly enhanced if the aerosol can is used by children.
It is common knowledge that children tend to be inquisitive and if given the opportunity, they will explore or play with various household items left within their reach. Accordingly, hundreds of serious, unnecessary accidents occur every year as a result of unattended children who inadvertently spray a dangerous product from a pressurized container. Thus, a great need exists for effective childproof safety locking devices to solve the problem of inadvertent actuation of pressurized containers.
Safety locking devices to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a child spraying the contents of an aerosol can are known. In fact, considerable effort has been devoted to development of an economical and effective safety valve locking device. Notwithstanding the effort expended to develop such a device, the structure and operation of prior childproof safety locking devices adapted to selectively permit or prohibit depression of an actuator head on a movable valve stem for pressurized containers have shortcomings which have been surmounted by the present invention.
For example, efforts have been made prior to this invention to develop a safety cap for placement over the dispensing mechanism of pressurized cans. However, these safety caps have proven to be undesirable for use as a childproof device. This is due in part to the fact that users of spray products often forget to replace the caps after the product has been used. Thus, if a user inadvertently forgets to replace the cap, the safety caps are rendered entirely ineffective for their intended purpose.
Other past attempts have resulted in childproof safety locking devices arranged to selectively prevent dispensing the contents of an aerosol can. However, attempts also contain several shortcomings. For example, many of these devices include intricate designs which are expensive to manufacture are difficult to assemble or, lend themselves to defective design or have parts that are easily susceptible to fatigue and breakdown of their elastic memory. Other significant shortcomings of prior art devices include structures that are so simple that a young child can figure out how to operate the supposedly childproof safety locking device or actuate the valve that dispenses the spray merely by "playing" with the can and the safety locking devices thereon. Thus, these devices are also completely defective for their intended purpose. Still other prior art locking devices are defective because they contain the serious drawback of not automatically reverting to their locking position once the user has finished spraying the contents from the associated pressurized can. Thus, if the user forgets to place the locking device in its locking position after using the desired product, a young child can actuate the valve assembly thereof. This drawback also renders these locking devices entire ineffective. Examples of prior art devices having some of the foregoing drawbacks can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,828,982 to Steigerwald; 3,940,023 to Umstead; 3,837,537 to Baldwin; and 3,894,665 to Swenson.
Plainly, despite the great effort expended by prior art designers and manufacturers of safety locking devices for valve assemblies in the pressurized can art, many drawbacks still exist. It is evident from the existence of such drawbacks that there has been a considerable need for an improved safety locking device valve assemblies used for dispensing the contents of pressurized containers which is effective, inexpensive to manufacture and will automatically revert to the locked position when use of the pressurized container is complete. Furthermore, there is also a longstanding but unsolved need for a locking device comprising an adaptable collar for use with any pressurized container.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by using a safety locking device having a new and unobvious structure and operation. Accordingly, the use of the present safety locking device will benefit all individuals who are concerned that young children may injure themselves by dispensing the contents of pressurized containers in an undesirable manner.